*weg

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *weg for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *wegaz (“way”),^[1][3] which Kroonen cites as *wega- and Orel as *weʒaz.^[3][4] Both derive the Proto-Germanic noun from the strong verb "to move, to carry".^[3][4]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem.^[5][6]

Evidence

The noun is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old Saxon weg and Old High German weg, and with a palatal consonant Old English weġ and Old Frisian wei.^[1][7] Old Dutch has weg in psalms of the 9th century,^[8] and ONW records it in Williram's commentary of about 1100.^[9] De Vaan finds *-weg in the place name ⟨Wadwaai⟩ in North Holland, with a palatalization of final -g that is irregular in Franconian but normal in Frisian, as in Old Frisian wei.^[7]

Meanings

1. way, road^[1][2]

Old English also used the word for "journey" and "course of action",^[10] and Old Frisian for "distance", "journey" and "manner".^[11]

Derivatives

• *wegabraidā "plantain", which Wiktionary reconstructs:^[12] Old English wegbrāde, beside Old High German wegabreita.^[13]

Reflexes

• Old English: weġ (“way, path, journey”)^[10]
• Old Frisian: wei (“way, distance, journey, manner”)^[11]
• Old Saxon: weg (“path, road”)^[14]
• Old Dutch: weg (“way”)^[9]
• Old High German: weg (“way, road, path”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 212
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *weg
3. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 577
4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 452
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weg
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weg
7. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2017), The Dawn of Dutch: Language Contact in the Western Low Countries before 1200, NOWELE Supplement Series 30, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins, p. 180
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weg
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. weg
10. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. weg
11. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wei
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wegabraidā
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wegbrāde
14. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 440